The venerable Sun Studios ( 628 Broadway, & Houston NYC.) is closing after more than two decades. *(information provided by their last interim studio manager)

Sun Studios has been the starting point for so many of us that have gone on to provide services in the commercial photo industry.

They have gone on to positions of: Studio & equipment managers at a number of other major rental studios here in NYC. such as: Milk Studio, Industria, Pier 59 Studio, Tribeca Studio, Root DriveIn, Trec Rental, Headlight rental, to name a few; and others have gone on to work as producers, studio and equipment rental company owners and photographers.

Introducing DOWNTOWN, a new fragrance by Calvin Klein.In this minute-long Calvin Klein spot starring Rooney Mara, directed by David Fincher, Music: "Runaway" by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and shot in loving black and white on the Red Epic Monochrome by DP David Devlin.

Sadly Phase One did not send this mass email until around 4:00AM EST on July 4 2013. Perhaps knowing full well that the vast majority of those that would take advantage of this offer would not be checking their emails until later in the week, long after the discount period would have expired.

This promo would have made more sense had they actually sent the email notice 3-4 days in advance of the promotional offer. This is fairly typical of how this get done in the world of photography.

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In a rather surprising turn of events Drip Book Announces merger with Work Book.

If you've been paying attention to the part of our industry that deals with source books and online photo portfolios over the last 10 years you'll note that Workbook was at one time one of the top 3 resources connecting photographers to art directors and art buyers. Then not long after we all started moving towards digital Workbook chose to lag behind the rest of the industry and in doing so New media companies such as DRIP BOOK came online offering a clean easy to use interface and a pricing model that Workbook and others could not compete with. Drip Book for the last 6 years or so has really been one of the premiere online resources for those in the photo industry to promote and host their online portfolios.

I can only assume that Drip Book was offered a huge amount of cash as an incentive to merge with Workbook. According to staff members workbook received a huge financial boot during the last year thanks in large part to Venture Capitol investors.

Workbook it appears is currently focusing on competing with Agency Access for their market share based on this and other ventures.

Posted on 2nd July 2013 by Alex Wright

Our ambition at Drip book has always been to put your creative portfolios in front of all the right people. So we’re thrilled to announce that Drip book is now part of Workbook, a creative heavyweight that will connect your portfolios to an exciting new audience. More...

MELVILLE, N.Y., July 2, 2013 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced its parent company, Canon Inc., developed Dual Pixel CMOS AF, an innovative new auto-focus technology for the EOS 70D Digital SLR camera. Dual Pixel CMOS AF, a phase-detection AF technology conducted directly on the image sensor plane, employs a CMOS sensor on which all of the effective pixels are able to perform both imaging and phase-detection AF simultaneously to achieve dramatically improved AF performance over prior EOS cameras during Live View and video shooting.

As digital SLR cameras have evolved in recent years in terms of functionality and performance, shooting styles have become more diverse. An increasing number of users no longer rely exclusively on the viewfinder when shooting, but rather view the camera’s LCD monitor when using the Live View function to capture still images and when shooting video.

Canon has just added the Canon EOS 70D to the APS-C crop sensor line up. It looks to be very capable mid-range DSLR. They’ve added the WiFi that was introduced in the Canon EOS 6D, but did not include the GPS that was added to the 6D.

The biggest feature they’re touting on this release is a “revolutionary autofocus technology that unlocks the potential of Live View: Dual Pixel CMOS AF” (yes, they even used the phrase “game changing!”) – canonrumors.com says it is up to 5 times faster in live view.

I’m personally excited to see the Articulating Touch Screen make it to a new higher end camera than the Canon Rebel T5i(it was initially put in the Canon line on the Canon Rebel T4i)

I think it is also cool that the Canon EOS 70D uses the same LP-E6 battery as the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and others. Good to see some unification there!

When I moved to NYC. in 1994 Bert Stern was on my list of the top 20 photographers I wanted to work with.I had the privilege of working with Bert Stern a few times with my friend and Bert's long time first assistant Carl Sulit.The last time we worked together was an Advertising Shoot for REEBOK - Classic photographing Samuel L. Jackson just days after the release of the Quentin Tarantino film: 'Jacky Brown'.

We shot in Studios #4 & #5 at at Pier 59 Studios in NYC.; just a little over kill for a simple 1 person day light shoot. But the Client and the Ad agency thought it a good idea to rent the whole 5100 SQFT so that they could bring staff and have a party and see a "Movie Star". There were about 40 people sitting in the back of the studio with champagne flowing and catering for close to 50.

Those that knew Bert Stern know that this type of circus atmosphere did not go over well, and he kept himself well away from the fray and had his rep. act as the go between when questions arose.

Bert's setup was simple as it always was. Hasselblad camera and a couple of lenses, 120 black and white and color transparency film, and 6 film backs, and strobes on hand in case the daylight when down.By the time Samuel L. Jackson showed up and he was changed into the clothes and shoes for the shoot, the circus in the back had gotten pretty well out of hand and were talking so loud that Samuel L. Jackson couldn't Hear Bert's direction even though they were standing only 12 feet apart. At which point Samuel L. Jackson started getting pissed off and told the people in the back of the studio to: "Shut the fuck up!" which produced a moment of glee because they had been cursed out by Samuel L. Jackson. " Go figure"This only pissed of Samuel L. Jackson more and and a few frames later he asked Bert how many more images he needed to take.Moments later Samuel L. Jackson said he was done thanked Bert Stern, called for his PR person and left the studio.We managed to shoot 8 rolls of film during that short time and not long after Samuel L. Jackson had left, and after making the requisite goodbyes Bert also left; rather than hanging around with what had now evolved into the cast of a Fellini film.I went on to work with others whom I'd moved to NYC. to work with, and my friend Carl had continued to work with Bert. Recently they had been scheduled to work together again for a Loreal shoot in June, but that shoot was changed to August due to Bert's recent illness.

Bert Stern died on Wednesday June 24 at his home in Manhattan at the age of 83.He is survived by two daughters, Trista and Susannah; a son, Bret; a sister, Diane Schlanger; and three grandchildren.His death was announced by Shannah Laumeister, a longtime friend, who said she and Bert had been secretly married in Las Vegas in 2009.Which many people found rather strange when you consider the well known fact that Bert Stern hated Las Vegas.Shannah Laumeister is also the director of the recent documentary: “Bert Stern: The Original Madman

Working as Photographers Assistants is one of the best ways of learning the inner workings in the commercial photography industry. In addition working as a Photographers Assistant is also the best way to sharpen your: on-set technical, production and lighting skills. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

June 26, 2013—Leica Camera, in collaboration with G-Star—the Dutch jeans and fashion label—presents a limited special edition of the Leica D-Lux 6 compact camera for fashion and photography enthusiasts. Inspired by the successful G-Star RAW collection, the new Leica D-Lux 6 ‘Edition by G-Star RAW’ features an unusual color concept. Its distinctive look, equally unique and timeless, makes it a stylish accessory for fashion aficionados who appreciate extraordinary products with a special edge.

The body of the Leica D-Lux 6 ‘Edition by G-Star RAW’ is finished in the signature RAW design, and features the script ‘LEICA BY G-STAR RAW … JUST THE PRODUCT’. The special edition’s leather trim and the distinctive dot structure define the outstanding style of the Leica D-Lux 6 ‘Edition by G-Star RAW.’ The collaboration allowed G-Star to playfully work with design values and materials of the denim industry. The Leica D-Lux 6 ‘Edition by G-Star RAW’ comes as a set that includes both a camera case in brown leather branded with the G-Star logo with matching exclusive carrying strap and hand strap. The Leica D-Lux 6 ‘Edition by G-Star RAW’ is a worldwide collectible and is exclusively available for $1,150 at Leica Stores and Boutiques as well as selected Leica Dealers.

"All photographs are accurate. None of them is the truth." - Richard Avedon - 1984

"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." - Thomas Alva Edison

"Any photographer who says he’s not a voyeur is either stupid or a liar." - Helmut Newton

"You don’t have to sort of enhance reality. There is nothing stranger than truth." - Annie Leibovitz

"When you find yourself beginning to feel a bond between yourself and the people you photograph, when you laugh and cry with their laughter and tears, you will know you are on the right track." - Weegee

"The camera is much more than a recording apparatus. It is a medium via which messages reach us from another world." - Orson Welles

"Some people's photography is an art. Not mine. Art is a dirty word in photography. All this fine art crap is killing it already." - Helmut Newton

"Our virtues and our failings are inseparable, like force and matter. When they separate, man is no more. " - Nikola Tesla

"I think all art is about control - the encounter between control and the uncontrollable." - Richard Avedon

"The first 10 000 shots are the worst." - Helmut Newton

“If I have any ‘message’ worth giving to a beginner it is that there are no short cuts in photography.” – Edward Weston

"Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn't have it in the beginning." - Mahatma Gandhi

"Ultimately success or failure in photographing people depends on the photographer's ability to understand his fellow man." - Edward Weston

"If you want reality take the bus." - David LaChapelle

"You don't take a photograph, you make it." - Ansel Adams

"When I have sex with someone I forget who I am. For a minute I even forget I’m human. It’s the same thing when I’m behind a camera. I forget I exist." - Robert Mapplethorpe

"Great photography is always on the edge of failure." - Garry Winogrand

"I don’t think photography has anything remotely to do with the brain. It has to do with eye appeal." - Horst P. Horst

"Be yourself. I much prefer seeing something, even it is clumsy, that doesn't look like somebody else's work." - William Klein

"Avedon claims to have been the best photographer in the '60s - bullshit - Bob Richardson was - despite or because of being insane and strung out on drugs, I managed to do photographs that are considered iconic - being known as the 'photographer's photographer' means I lead and they follow - I'm broke and they are rich." - Bob Richardson